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The Aroosi Arrangement
Sharzad Daryai looks like she’s got it all, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. She’s 32 years old, her dream job turning stale, and she’s desperate for a change. And then she finds out her brother is getting married. Her younger brother.
Sharzad’s never been particularly lucky in love, but she doesn’t want to face another round of pitying aunties and uncles asking when it’s going to be her turn. When her siblings insist she needs to bring a date to the wedding, or else, she needs a solution. And fast.
Sam Kazemi is a golden boy whose shine is tarnished. Sure, he’s got the fancy degree from an American school, but his girlfriend just dumped him and his dream project is in trouble. With a head for numbers, Sam has no flair for the creative, and no desire to admit he’s bitten off more than he can chew.
After a pair of heated chance encounters, Sharzad and Sam strike a She’ll help him find a creative solution to his business woes if he agrees to pose as her boyfriend at all wedding-related events.
The lines between work and play, real and fake begin to blur, but romantically-reluctant Sharzad and overly-confident Sam maintain that after the wedding, they’ll go their separate ways. After the wedding, things will go back to normal, with no feelings in the way. Right?
Right?
Sharzad’s never been particularly lucky in love, but she doesn’t want to face another round of pitying aunties and uncles asking when it’s going to be her turn. When her siblings insist she needs to bring a date to the wedding, or else, she needs a solution. And fast.
Sam Kazemi is a golden boy whose shine is tarnished. Sure, he’s got the fancy degree from an American school, but his girlfriend just dumped him and his dream project is in trouble. With a head for numbers, Sam has no flair for the creative, and no desire to admit he’s bitten off more than he can chew.
After a pair of heated chance encounters, Sharzad and Sam strike a She’ll help him find a creative solution to his business woes if he agrees to pose as her boyfriend at all wedding-related events.
The lines between work and play, real and fake begin to blur, but romantically-reluctant Sharzad and overly-confident Sam maintain that after the wedding, they’ll go their separate ways. After the wedding, things will go back to normal, with no feelings in the way. Right?
Right?
476 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 14, 2025
18 people are currently reading
248 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 27, 2025
More formal blurb and review incoming but for now, THIS IS THE FAKE DATING BOOK.
Arezou’s voice is inimitable, and I’m so lucky to have read this book in all its beautiful forms. 💜
Arezou’s voice is inimitable, and I’m so lucky to have read this book in all its beautiful forms. 💜
October 7, 2025
THE AROOSI ARRANGEMENT is an all encompassing romance. Romantic love. Love for self. Love of family and culture. It was the easiest thing to read, and know Sharzad and Sam intimately because the world around them was written with vibrance, authenticity, and love. Even when processing anxieties and trauma, these moments are given respect and thoughtful examination. It all added up to seeing the totality of a character, and loving them for exactly as they are.
Sharzad and Sam. When you know you know an author knows their characters, you get Sharzad and Sam. Their insecurities are highlighted but not punchlines. They are flawed but not failures. They are soft but strong. They make mistakes and you know exactly why. Because Arezou Amin knows her spices. Sharzad and Sam are flavored to perfection.
The attention to setting and culture and food and language is equally effortlessly meticulous. Sights, sounds, smells of everything from a family gathering to a congested shopping plaza parking lot bring the story to life. The richness of detail made for an immersive reading experience.
Thank you to the author, Arezou Amin, for the advance copy to read and review.
Sharzad and Sam. When you know you know an author knows their characters, you get Sharzad and Sam. Their insecurities are highlighted but not punchlines. They are flawed but not failures. They are soft but strong. They make mistakes and you know exactly why. Because Arezou Amin knows her spices. Sharzad and Sam are flavored to perfection.
The attention to setting and culture and food and language is equally effortlessly meticulous. Sights, sounds, smells of everything from a family gathering to a congested shopping plaza parking lot bring the story to life. The richness of detail made for an immersive reading experience.
Thank you to the author, Arezou Amin, for the advance copy to read and review.
November 17, 2025
I want to be meaner but I will refrain for the culture. The idea was cute and fun but was executed poorly imo - that being said it is the author’s first novel so props to her for stepping into a very niche concept of a very Iranian rom-com (crazy concept btw) 😀 with spicy scenes that her irl family will inevitably read and the Iranian community will inevitably judge her for. She’s brave fr
like I mentioned in my update, I’m not really clear on who her target audience was for this book because the amount of Farsi words in this book made it seem like it was purely for Farsi-speaking people but Idk if that was her intention… although she is from Toronto which is basically Iran 2.0 so maybe this is for Iranians and Iranian-Canadians who also understand some Farsi? Girl so confusing by charli xcx
Another thing - I was getting way too many details about way too mundane things. I simply as the reader do not need to know the thread count of the sheets (not an actual line from the book but it may as well have been). Also spoiler alert but in what world are two people going from friends to engaged in less than a year especially when one of them was aggressively in love with his ex when they first met? Like I get it they’re in love blah blah but also that’s not realistic in any way but also maybe Iranian-Canadians are a different breed idk.
Okay my last qualm and the reason for every single one of my cringe faces … brother who is speaking Farsi during sex??? HELLO? She doesn’t even speak Farsi that well to her family and you want me to believe she’s out here moaning and groaning in Farsi?? Ikyfl bro ain’t no way. I audibly went “BLECH” when I read that because there is no world where that is real. But once again, maybe Iranian-Canadians do that shit idk all I know is that I don’t want to read that again
like I mentioned in my update, I’m not really clear on who her target audience was for this book because the amount of Farsi words in this book made it seem like it was purely for Farsi-speaking people but Idk if that was her intention… although she is from Toronto which is basically Iran 2.0 so maybe this is for Iranians and Iranian-Canadians who also understand some Farsi? Girl so confusing by charli xcx
Another thing - I was getting way too many details about way too mundane things. I simply as the reader do not need to know the thread count of the sheets (not an actual line from the book but it may as well have been). Also spoiler alert but in what world are two people going from friends to engaged in less than a year especially when one of them was aggressively in love with his ex when they first met? Like I get it they’re in love blah blah but also that’s not realistic in any way but also maybe Iranian-Canadians are a different breed idk.
Okay my last qualm and the reason for every single one of my cringe faces … brother who is speaking Farsi during sex??? HELLO? She doesn’t even speak Farsi that well to her family and you want me to believe she’s out here moaning and groaning in Farsi?? Ikyfl bro ain’t no way. I audibly went “BLECH” when I read that because there is no world where that is real. But once again, maybe Iranian-Canadians do that shit idk all I know is that I don’t want to read that again
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2025
The Aroosi Arrangement captured me with its endearing characters and kept me reading with the relatable and compelling story.
The plot is rich and flows well. While the book is constructed on a classic fake-dating romance skeleton, the development of the story still feels fresh and kept me wondering how it would play out. The pacing is well done, moving between POVs in a way that had me turning pages furiously until the end.
As a person whose heritage is underrepresented in English-language literature, it’s so refreshing to see an even more underrepresented background flourishing through the characters on these pages. I connected deeply with the way their cultures influence the story as they grapple with identity and belonging. The characters are richly portrayed, layered, complex, and quite fallible, but never to the point of being tiresome. Their experiences feel authentic and relatable. The dialogue dips unapologetically into Farsi, creating vibrant scenes familiar to anyone who has grown up in a multilingual community. It’s also so uplifting to experience the graceful way in which demisexuality is handled inside this romance story. The light nods to some important fandoms in both entertainment and sports added unexpected delight along the way.
This book is for you if you love romance but are eager for a fresh take. It’s also for you if you enjoy contemplations on how the children of diaspora find and create community. I’d even recommend it simply on the merits of the mouth-watering meals that get cooked and eaten in this book. Definitely don’t miss this one!
The plot is rich and flows well. While the book is constructed on a classic fake-dating romance skeleton, the development of the story still feels fresh and kept me wondering how it would play out. The pacing is well done, moving between POVs in a way that had me turning pages furiously until the end.
As a person whose heritage is underrepresented in English-language literature, it’s so refreshing to see an even more underrepresented background flourishing through the characters on these pages. I connected deeply with the way their cultures influence the story as they grapple with identity and belonging. The characters are richly portrayed, layered, complex, and quite fallible, but never to the point of being tiresome. Their experiences feel authentic and relatable. The dialogue dips unapologetically into Farsi, creating vibrant scenes familiar to anyone who has grown up in a multilingual community. It’s also so uplifting to experience the graceful way in which demisexuality is handled inside this romance story. The light nods to some important fandoms in both entertainment and sports added unexpected delight along the way.
This book is for you if you love romance but are eager for a fresh take. It’s also for you if you enjoy contemplations on how the children of diaspora find and create community. I’d even recommend it simply on the merits of the mouth-watering meals that get cooked and eaten in this book. Definitely don’t miss this one!
October 31, 2025
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to receive the ARC.
This was a good debut novel and I really loved the story, especially the backdrop of the Persian/Canadian community. However, I did find the novel to be a little long and the writing style was dense – so it took away some from the light-hearted, slow burn romance.
First the great things and there are many – it’s a really lovely story about 2 people who battle a lot of traditional stereotypes and expectations, social and cultural, to find their way to each other. I loved that their relationship unfolded slowly, but naturally, In fact, this was one of the more “real” depictions of a relationship where it wasn’t instalove and equally, not completely unrealistic portrayals of overwhelming attraction etc. This just made the story and characters that much more relatable and grounded.
If you are a second culture kid or immigrant, so many aspects of this novel will resonate. Dealing with parents and a community that have such traditional expectations, yet facing the daily reality of growing up in a Western context that almost goes against everything you are hearing at home. Having to resolve that duality for yourself etc.
Where – personally – the story could’ve been a little different. I think some chapters were quite lengthy and distracted with side stories, which could do with some streamlining. There could be more steady chemistry development with the characters, that part felt a bit choppy and all the more need to be continuous in a slow burn romance. Lastly, the diversity with the Persian community was amazing but to the point where sometimes it felt a bit isolating, for a non-Persian reader, like myself, because I didn’t quite catch all the references in Farsi. I say “didn’t quite catch” because there is enough context to figure it out but with a denser read, it's easier if it’s explained or translated.
In summary – I’m looking forward to this author’s development on her writing journey and I’m excited to read her next book.
This was a good debut novel and I really loved the story, especially the backdrop of the Persian/Canadian community. However, I did find the novel to be a little long and the writing style was dense – so it took away some from the light-hearted, slow burn romance.
First the great things and there are many – it’s a really lovely story about 2 people who battle a lot of traditional stereotypes and expectations, social and cultural, to find their way to each other. I loved that their relationship unfolded slowly, but naturally, In fact, this was one of the more “real” depictions of a relationship where it wasn’t instalove and equally, not completely unrealistic portrayals of overwhelming attraction etc. This just made the story and characters that much more relatable and grounded.
If you are a second culture kid or immigrant, so many aspects of this novel will resonate. Dealing with parents and a community that have such traditional expectations, yet facing the daily reality of growing up in a Western context that almost goes against everything you are hearing at home. Having to resolve that duality for yourself etc.
Where – personally – the story could’ve been a little different. I think some chapters were quite lengthy and distracted with side stories, which could do with some streamlining. There could be more steady chemistry development with the characters, that part felt a bit choppy and all the more need to be continuous in a slow burn romance. Lastly, the diversity with the Persian community was amazing but to the point where sometimes it felt a bit isolating, for a non-Persian reader, like myself, because I didn’t quite catch all the references in Farsi. I say “didn’t quite catch” because there is enough context to figure it out but with a denser read, it's easier if it’s explained or translated.
In summary – I’m looking forward to this author’s development on her writing journey and I’m excited to read her next book.
January 9, 2026
OH MY GOD. My first words I said when I finished this book. I’m a junior in high school right now, before this had been in a HUGE reading slump of 3 years. I used to love reading and suddenly I fell out of it due to personal reasons. But, I had gotten this book for Christmas and decided to give it a shot. And, I can’t believe how much I loved this book.
I relate to this book on another level, (probably because im Iranian) BUT.. the way Sharzad feels her emotions deeply and how she felt before meeting Sam, I really connected with her on that. I loved how Arezou made us dive deep into Sharzads emotions and also both Sam and Sharzads past as well. We got to read about their childhood and how differently they grew up and that really sets the scene for them now that they’re older.
I LOVED that this book had Farsi in it, it’s so rare seeing books about Iranian women being written and actually have Farsi like this. It’s so cool to me! The way Sam and Sharzad fell in love was so amazing for me to read and I’d read it again because the way everything was so detailed it just.. chefs kiss!
This book actually made me want to start reading more and more and I love that. I’d recommend this book 100% to any Persian girl or just anyone who wants to read about the Persian culture mixed with romance!
I relate to this book on another level, (probably because im Iranian) BUT.. the way Sharzad feels her emotions deeply and how she felt before meeting Sam, I really connected with her on that. I loved how Arezou made us dive deep into Sharzads emotions and also both Sam and Sharzads past as well. We got to read about their childhood and how differently they grew up and that really sets the scene for them now that they’re older.
I LOVED that this book had Farsi in it, it’s so rare seeing books about Iranian women being written and actually have Farsi like this. It’s so cool to me! The way Sam and Sharzad fell in love was so amazing for me to read and I’d read it again because the way everything was so detailed it just.. chefs kiss!
This book actually made me want to start reading more and more and I love that. I’d recommend this book 100% to any Persian girl or just anyone who wants to read about the Persian culture mixed with romance!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2025
(ARC copy received for honest opinion/review)
If you're going to make a trope yours....make it yours. This did that relatively well in my opinion - and on more fronts than I expected. There's a lot of ground to cover when trying to cover a diaspora within a contemporary romance book, and sometimes it can be hard to figure out how to work that into the plot without feeling like you're giving a lesson on the culture instead of a story of two people falling in love.
This then sprinkled in a layer of two characters who trend towards being Demisexual in a culture which doesn't make it easy to know or *be* demisexual - leading to some interesting conversational moments that I looked forward to.
This wasn't ALL sunshine and roses and some of the writing and pacing needed as much effort as the care to detail on highlighting the ways different aspects of one's culture could blend and clash....but I enjoyed it and it will definitely be something I recommend my library purchase just to get it into more hands.
If you're going to make a trope yours....make it yours. This did that relatively well in my opinion - and on more fronts than I expected. There's a lot of ground to cover when trying to cover a diaspora within a contemporary romance book, and sometimes it can be hard to figure out how to work that into the plot without feeling like you're giving a lesson on the culture instead of a story of two people falling in love.
This then sprinkled in a layer of two characters who trend towards being Demisexual in a culture which doesn't make it easy to know or *be* demisexual - leading to some interesting conversational moments that I looked forward to.
This wasn't ALL sunshine and roses and some of the writing and pacing needed as much effort as the care to detail on highlighting the ways different aspects of one's culture could blend and clash....but I enjoyed it and it will definitely be something I recommend my library purchase just to get it into more hands.
October 14, 2025
“They remind me of the first time I really saw her eyes light up because she was excited about something. The first time she was really herself around me. The first time I had her to myself.”
This is a delight. I barely put this book down once I started reading. It’s such a victory for Iranian/Persian stories and Indie romance. I found Sharzad Daryai and Sam Kazemi to be well realized imperfect but hugely lovable characters. I absolutely loved nuance in Sharzad and Sam.
Sharzad is the eldest immigrant daughter. She quit her stable “adult” job to work for herself and freelance. She is a risk taker but also really afraid to take risks further. It doesn’t come naturally to her. Sam is the parental dream. He has an MBA, the U.S education and lives independently. But he is just shy of being successful and Iranian enough for his ex and her family.
Sam and Sharzad strike an agreement that Sam will fake date Sharzad for her younger brother’s wedding in exchange for unpaid copyediting on his passion project, Emsab. Together, they hit all those combined fake dating and slow burn beats beautifully.
I strongly recommend this book if you’ve read Aurora Palit’s Sunshine and Spice. Sharzad and Sam are lot like Naomi and Dev in their relationships to their respective cultures. Like that pair, Sam and Sharzad have tightly wound judgements of each other that they cannot help holding because of that difference. I love that no matter how the romance progresses they must confront how each other’s privileges and outlooks affect them.
I also loved Sharzad’s relationship to perception, confidence, and feeling invalidated. I couldn’t help agreeing with her at several points in the book.
“You don’t know what it’s like to be told you’re pretty by your immediate family, but not to hear it anywhere else, meanwhile they can’t stop telling you how pretty other people are. I know it’s stupid. I shouldn’t need outside validation, but to never have it?” She laughed humourlessly. “Even the most confident person in the world would start believing there’s some truth to it.”
This is one of my favorite late bloomer characterizations because it explores how this status affects general confidence too. That your own expectations for love and desirability matter.
Disclosure : I want to thank Arezou Amin for e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a delight. I barely put this book down once I started reading. It’s such a victory for Iranian/Persian stories and Indie romance. I found Sharzad Daryai and Sam Kazemi to be well realized imperfect but hugely lovable characters. I absolutely loved nuance in Sharzad and Sam.
Sharzad is the eldest immigrant daughter. She quit her stable “adult” job to work for herself and freelance. She is a risk taker but also really afraid to take risks further. It doesn’t come naturally to her. Sam is the parental dream. He has an MBA, the U.S education and lives independently. But he is just shy of being successful and Iranian enough for his ex and her family.
Sam and Sharzad strike an agreement that Sam will fake date Sharzad for her younger brother’s wedding in exchange for unpaid copyediting on his passion project, Emsab. Together, they hit all those combined fake dating and slow burn beats beautifully.
I strongly recommend this book if you’ve read Aurora Palit’s Sunshine and Spice. Sharzad and Sam are lot like Naomi and Dev in their relationships to their respective cultures. Like that pair, Sam and Sharzad have tightly wound judgements of each other that they cannot help holding because of that difference. I love that no matter how the romance progresses they must confront how each other’s privileges and outlooks affect them.
I also loved Sharzad’s relationship to perception, confidence, and feeling invalidated. I couldn’t help agreeing with her at several points in the book.
“You don’t know what it’s like to be told you’re pretty by your immediate family, but not to hear it anywhere else, meanwhile they can’t stop telling you how pretty other people are. I know it’s stupid. I shouldn’t need outside validation, but to never have it?” She laughed humourlessly. “Even the most confident person in the world would start believing there’s some truth to it.”
This is one of my favorite late bloomer characterizations because it explores how this status affects general confidence too. That your own expectations for love and desirability matter.
Disclosure : I want to thank Arezou Amin for e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 16, 2025
4⭐ 3 🌶️
Well this was out of the blue and fantastic. Full disclosure hung out with a lot of Iranians/ Persians when I was younger and it was glorious to read all about the food I've missed so dearly. I'm with Sahm on this one, plain tadig is the best!
Getting back to the story, this was delightful insight into Persian culture and the community feel that can make or break culture for some individuals. The growth of Sam's character in particular was great to read. He grew in some unexpected ways which made the plot all that much better. The only thing I would have liked was a translation of the Farsi in the book. This could have been footnotes or a glossary. Otherwise a stellar book and a glorious read.
Big thanks to @arezoudeetoo for a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
Well this was out of the blue and fantastic. Full disclosure hung out with a lot of Iranians/ Persians when I was younger and it was glorious to read all about the food I've missed so dearly. I'm with Sahm on this one, plain tadig is the best!
Getting back to the story, this was delightful insight into Persian culture and the community feel that can make or break culture for some individuals. The growth of Sam's character in particular was great to read. He grew in some unexpected ways which made the plot all that much better. The only thing I would have liked was a translation of the Farsi in the book. This could have been footnotes or a glossary. Otherwise a stellar book and a glorious read.
Big thanks to @arezoudeetoo for a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
October 3, 2025
I'm always interested in reading stories that don't reflect my own experience. So I was thrilled to read this story set in Toronto within the Iranian diaspora.
It was a joy to follow these two fools' journey but what really made it was all the secondary characters. And all the mentions of food! I'm about to go down a foodie rabbit hole as I need to know what all the dishes mentioned are.
All in all, an enjoyable read that I recommend.
Thank you to the author for the ARC.
It was a joy to follow these two fools' journey but what really made it was all the secondary characters. And all the mentions of food! I'm about to go down a foodie rabbit hole as I need to know what all the dishes mentioned are.
All in all, an enjoyable read that I recommend.
Thank you to the author for the ARC.
December 7, 2025
Anyone in the mood for fake dating? I absolutely loved the ride these characters took me on with one of my favourite tropes. In particular, Sharzad, the female mc, is so spicy and has a level of confidence that I would like to bottle and consume lol. Also I love that the main characters are in their 30s - so refreshing for someone who reads romantasy and everyone is like 19. 😅 Finally, this book takes place in Toronto, so it’s cool to recognize the locations they’re visiting. 🫶🏼
December 26, 2025
WHAAAAAT A BOOOKK!!
Normally I don't like 3rd person Pov, but the writing was sooooo gooddd I can't even begin to explain!
The familiarity felt like a warm hug! The Farsi words here and there were so on point and mostly made me laugh out loud!
It was funny, enjoyable, heartwarming and so very satisfying!
I'm so proud to have had the chance to read this book! And so very proud to tell everyone about it and the brilliant author, Arezou Amin, who's written this masterpiece!
Amazing job!
Normally I don't like 3rd person Pov, but the writing was sooooo gooddd I can't even begin to explain!
The familiarity felt like a warm hug! The Farsi words here and there were so on point and mostly made me laugh out loud!
It was funny, enjoyable, heartwarming and so very satisfying!
I'm so proud to have had the chance to read this book! And so very proud to tell everyone about it and the brilliant author, Arezou Amin, who's written this masterpiece!
Amazing job!
November 21, 2025
I loved the progression of their relationship and the demisexuality rep. I also really enjoyed both of their immediate families and how supportive they were. I always enjoy flawed characters who have real character development, the pay off is wonderful! Thoroughly enjoyed this book!
October 18, 2025
This is a great fake dating romance. The build-up is wonderfully done and I really enjoyed learning about Persian cuisine and customs. I can’t wait for the next in the series!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews